The Angelic Conflict - Part 53 -
Point 14. - The Angelic Conflict In Human History Answers Basic Questions About Life -

a. Why man? Mankind was created to resolve the prehistoric angelic conflict and to glorify God as an inferior creature to angels.

b. Why did God allow sin? To resolve the angelic conflict all members of the human race must have the same free will as angels to choose for or against God, as angels did in eternity past.

c. Why chaos on planet earth? There will always be chaos and evil as long as Satan rules this world.

d. Why human suffering? Because man is a sinner and Satan is the ruler of this world, it is inevitable that we all come under the law of volitional responsibility, which explains most of the suffering in the world.

We suffer because we have a free will, and God allows us to make our own decisions and also allows the consequences of those decisions to prevail.

We suffer from both immoral and moral evil. Mat 6:23 “If therefore the light [moral evil] that is in you is darkness, how great is the darkness!”

(1) Under the law of volitional responsibility and divine discipline, suffering is designed to orient us to the reality of sin and failure, and the need for recovery.

Jer 2:19 “Your own wickedness will correct you, And your apostasies will reprove you; Know therefore and see that it is evil and bitter For you to forsake the Lord your God, And the dread of Me is not in you,” declares the Lord God of hosts.

(2) Under undeserved suffering, the believer is challenged to use the PSD’s to grow in grace, orient to the plan of God, and advance to spiritual maturity where we can glorify God in the angelic conflict.

(a) Preventative suffering is added to spiritual self-esteem, the first stage of spiritual adulthood, to strengthen it to the point of spiritual autonomy or independence.

Preventative suffering = short-termed suffering from the sovereignty of God for the benefit of the believer.

Ecc 7:14 In the day of prosperity be happy, But in the day of adversity consider -- God has made the one as well as the other So that man may not discover anything that will be after him.

When we go through adversity, if we would only consider it as part of “the work of God,” then we would submit to it knowing that it is for our own benefit!

Often the purpose of preventative suffering is to learn obedience, self-discipline, and enforced and genuine humility.

This is a form of suffering designed to make the individual stronger within and increase his personal love for God.

This is designed to push you from spiritual self-esteem to spiritual autonomy, the next stage of spiritual growth.

In S.S.E., you have a certain amount of doctrine, but there is always the danger of becoming arrogant.

God brings in some undeserved suffering which inevitably takes away your strength, your reputation or your so-called status, to prevent you from becoming proud.

“given” = aor-pass-ind - edothe = this was given for a blessing and benefit.

Preventative suffering, like all suffering for blessing, is not designed to be removed by prayer.

“And He has said to me” = perf-act-ind - eireken = Paul remembered something that the Lord had taught him.

Everything necessary to fulfill the PPOG was provided in eternity past by way of assets in the Portfolio of Invisible Assets. Then God provides doctrine and suffering in time.

Suffering becomes a spotlight to the angels in the angelic conflict focusing on God’s power and our simultaneous weakness, weakness brought about by suffering for blessing.

Suffering for blessing focuses on God’s grace, and turns boasting away from self-glorification into worship, love, and appreciation for God.

1. Insults = slander and people testing.

2. Distresses = pressure and thought testing.

3. Persecutions = system testing.

4. Difficulties = stress and disaster testing.

Robert R. McLaughlin Bible Ministries

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Robert R. McLaughlin 2001